It was love that brought David Beardsley from the Chicago area to Russellville in early 2012. And it was love that kept him here — but not in the way he had expected.

Beardsley moved to Russellville because his ex-wife is from the area. When they were together, she wanted to be near her family and friends. Although things didn’t work out with her, Beardsley said that he fell in love with the town.

“I just like it here,” he said. “I like it a lot. I love the people and I love the area and I love the landscape. Everyone here is easy going. And their nurturing, too. They’ll help you in any way they can.”

He put down roots. Beardsley opened a barber shop on 106 North Commerce Ave. The shop might be easy to miss from the sidewalk. A single glass door with the name “Beardsley’s” written on the door. Inside is a small rectangle of space, a single barber chair and all the supplies required for barbering.

The shop sits right in the heart of downtown Russellville, which is a popular choice for local barber shops — there are seven within walking distance from one another.

“There’s a lot of history in this part of town. It’s all has an old-timey feel to it, which I feel fits in with the barber shop. Also, I felt that downtown was kind of the focal point of Russellville.”

With so much competition within such a small radius, it can be difficult for some to make themselves stand apart from the crowd. Beardsley said his market strategy was simple: give great haircuts.

“When people get a great haircut,” he said. “They know it. There are eight barber shops within my family. All of them are doing well. We know something about cutting hair. When you give someone a great haircut — they appreciate it. They tell people. That’s how I build my business, just by giving fantastic haircuts. Besides, there are maybe 30,000 people in Russellville. There are plenty of haircuts to go around.”

Beardsley is a fourth generation barber. You might say that cutting hair is in his blood.

“My great grandfather started barbering on a stump in his front yard,” Beardsley said. “He taught my grandfather, who taught my father. Dad taught me everything I know. We went to barber school in Rockford Ill. too. My grandfather, father and I all went to the same school.”

Beardsley said that he hopes to appeal to the younger generation and the older generation. According to him, many high school kids prefer to go to expensive salons and overlook the classic barber shop.

“I want to reach out to Tech,” he said. “I’ve got the old and the new here.”

To appeal to the older generation, Beardsley continues the barber shop tradition of hot lather shaves with a straight razor — although, he admits he’s met very few people who don’t enjoy them.

“To my knowledge I’m the only place in town that still does the hot lather shaves. I do that to appeal to the older crowd, but I find that the younger group likes it just as much.”

Besides cutting hair Beardsley is active in his church.

“God is everything to me,” he said. “I help my church out in any way I can.”

In fact, his church, The Pentacostals of Russellville, played a large role in making him feel accepted in Russellville — in helping him put down roots in a town very different than the one he was accustomed to.

“Pastor Tony Reynolds helped me out a lot,” he said. “He introduced me to a lot of people.”

Of course opening a business has helped, too.

“People just walk in,” Beardsley said. “And I meet them and get to know them.”